Sunday, February 18, 2018

Pop Culture

TRUMP THIS: Donald Trump (above) recently announced that he is considering running for president. Above, he is pictured speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

Miss Colombia, Paulina Vega, was crowned Miss Universe on Sunday night, winning the coveted crown against four other finalists in the Miss Universe pageant. Miss USA, Nia Sanchez, won second place. Businessman Donald Trump owns the annual beauty pageant, which features young women from over 80 countries. However, this year’s pageant has not been without controversy. Miss Israel 2006 and Miss Lebanon 2006 stirred up the drama after appearing in an Instagram photo together. The photos reminded people of a similar incident in 2006, where Miss Israel and Miss Lebanon appeared in a photo together during the time of the Israel-Hezbollah war. Although the pageant represents women around the world, it is hard to forget the political and foreign affairs dynamics that impact it.

Trump also stirred the pot after he was quoted saying that he is seriously considering running for president in 2016. “The country is in very serious trouble. We're making so many mistakes, and certainly I want to make America great again,” Trump commented in an interview with newscasters from the Weekend TODAY show in Miami. It remains to be seen what will happen here, but my bet is that he’ll stick to the shiny skyscrapers over the White House.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards show also aired on Sunday night, continuing the slew of award season events over the past few weeks. Notably, Orange is the New Black unseated Modern Family from its four-year reign over the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a TV Comedy. Birdman won for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, beating out other favorites such as Boyhood and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Compared to the Golden Globes allegations and the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, the SAG winners included women of color as award recipients, like Viola Davis and Uzo Aduba. Davis won for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series and Aduba won for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Although this award show has fewer categories than others, its winners this year were both diverse and deserving.

In other breaking news, Emma Watson announced that she will play Belle in a live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. The film is being produced by Disney and directed by Bill Condon. Production is slated to begin later this year, so we still have a little while before our favorite spell caster will hit the big screen again. In the meantime, you can catch Watson in Regression, a thriller being released this summer, and Colonia, a film based on true events that occurred in Chile under General Pinochet’s regime to be released later this fall.

For all you Grey’s Anatomy fans, Patrick Dempsey, who plays Derek Sheperd, a.k.a. McDreamy, and his wife Jillian are divorcing after 15 years. In an exclusive statement to People magazine, the couple explained that “it is with careful consideration and mutual respect that we have decided to end our marriage. … Our primary concern remains the wellbeing of our children, and we ask with profound gratitude that you respect our family's privacy at this very sensitive time.” It seems like television’s favorite doctor can’t heal all wounds.

What makes a college campus romantic? Is it the beauty of the buildings, the students, the surrounding landscape or some intangible quality some places possess? With Valentine’s Day approaching, the Features staff at the Justice pondered the question of whether Brandeis has a “romantic campus.” Searching for answers, Justice writers Sophie Fulara ’20 and Hannah Shumel ‘20 took to the streets and asked students about the places on campus they find to be romantic. Some students couldn’t name a place at Brandeis that they felt fit the description, so they recommended places in Waltham. While inconclusive and sprinkled with sarcasm and humor, their answers may give you an idea of where to go on Feb. 14th. — Victor Feldman